sports dictionary Dance sports - RATA YAKUMA
Dance sports RATA YAKUMA ("devil dances") Ceylon (Sri Lankan) ritual dances. Performed at the sickbed for the purpose of exorcising the devil. The dancers, imitating the devils movements, identify with him, overcome him and lead him away from the patient. Cf. dance of the devil. To rule out the possibility of disease, the spellcasters and the rata yakuma method were once again given (M. Wickramasinghe. The last century).